Monday, April 16, 2007

on wrestling watermelons

His post reminded me about one of my very first posts on this blog regarding my view of God as a greased watermelon. (ironically, that post was written in response to another friend's post at the time!) Here is the major point of the post:

It seems that God chooses to be more like a greased watermelon than a bird with clipped wings in a cage. Even those this often leaves me feeling frustrated, I wouldn't want to serve a God who could be caught-- by me or anyone else.

This thought has been rolling around in my brain for several days. Then, this morning, I was reading in Psalm 46 and a sentence in the last verse caught my attention and seemed to jump right into the pond with that greased watermelon theory,

"Jacob-wrestling God fights for us"

...and the phrase just got stuck in my head.

"Jacob-wrestling God fights for us."

NASB states it this way, "The God of Jacob is our stronghold."When I read it this way, the phrase feels passive. There is God and there is Jacob. It appears as though Jacob possesses God and visa-versa. Jacob is very blessed that his God is willing -- and even intentional -- to be known in connection with Jacob's name (which has been synonomous with both good and not-so-good circumstances).BUT, when I read the Message paraphrase, the statement appears in a totally new light. It appears as an active thing is going on here. Both parties - God and Jacob - possess each other through the action of WHAT....?!?

Think about it for a moment. (first, you gotta get the whole WWF thing out of your head...that's not really wrestling)

I think of two things:1. wrestling-the-sport: guys dressed in funny leotards and padded helmetsand2. wrestling-the-favorite-form-of-affection-for-Daddies: kids and their dad tussling and tickling and squealing (and Mom closing her eyes out of fear....someone is going to get hurt!)

Hmmm? I need more clarification on this whole wrestling thing. I go back to the beginning - the book of Genesis. I need to remind myself of the exact play-by-play of this historic GOD vs. JACOB smackdown. (no pay-per-view for this event, but what with the presences of Deity and body-deforming injuries HBO could have made a killing!)

Here's the text (and it is amazing):

But Jacob stayed behind by himself and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he couldn't get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob's hip out of joint.The man said, "Let me go; it's daybreak."Jacob said, "I'm not letting you go 'til you bless me."The man said, "What's your name?"He answered, "Jacob."The man said, "But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it's Israel (God-Wrestler); You've wrestled with God and you've come through."Jacob asked, "And what's your name?"The man said, "Why do you want to know my name?" And then, right then and there, he blessed him.Jacob named the place Peniel (God's Face) because he said, "I saw God face-t0-face and lived to tell the story."The sun came up as he left Peniel, limping because of his hip.

I'm almost speechless from this text. I will try to sum up my thoughts, though....to put into words my amazement at my God and His ways.Let's consider the opponents in this match:there's God, otherwise known as Creator of the Universe, Lord Most High, Great King and the Mighty One

OK -- so that was a detour to dig into the life of the man. I think it's worth the trip because, after all, this is the only guy I've ever heard of who went head to head with the Holy of Holies in a wrestling match (it says, "the man realized he couldn't get the best of Jacob" and had to resort to injuring him to win the fight!) Until the day I die, I will live in astonishment of the way God interacts with and blesses and uses such ordinary -- and even wacky -- characters (couldn't you imagine Jacob and his brothers on the Jerry Springer show?!?). Having written that last sentence is a little bit frustating because it's been said before so many times, but it still manages to take my breath away and feels almost impossible to believe.

And, now, back to the watermelon thing. My theology has been all messed with. It was a huge stretch for me to believe that God allows himself to behave like a greased watermelon -- not willing to be 'caught' and tamed. But, this passage about Jacob and the wrestling match makes me believe that God allows us to behave (in His image after all) in the same way. In this story, Jacob caught God and "would not let Him go" until he received a blessing. Jacob, the man who had had to cheat and lie to manipulate blessing from all the previous leaders in his life -- was not outmatched in a wrestling match with his God. It's absolutely crazy, I tell you.

And, then, instead of God being ticked off, God is so impressed He gives him a blessing and a new name.

Tamara Hill Murphy

I am Tamara Murphy: born and raised in a cynical, smalltown Northeast still harboring a penchant for hope and big ideas. Now I live in the bright city of Austin, Texas with my audacious and often-homesick family: two daughters, two sons, one husband.

I believe in the power of the written word. I read and write words to make friends with the ancient, present and future. I write to encourage both you and me to see God's presence through daily practices of art, liturgy and relationship.